Automatic ventilation-controlling apparatus



Feb. 2 1927.

'2" H.J.wooDE1-A| AUTOMATIC VENTILATION CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1924 Wr L .J J..... ZZ-:II: :if e l 8 6 .un v Suu Y Rw E O s ..N .2me R Nm? o E un T VTL T WMM? A mw. E mw Patented Feb. '22, 1927.

"nerr sra'ras HERBERT minas woon Annrannnarorrrvon nasroafru, or onarsro-mnon,

' NEW'ZEALAND. Y y v AUTOMATC VENTILATION-CNTROLLNG A13PARA'LUS.

Application filed April 29,199.4,Seria1 No. 709,744, and in New'ZeaandJune 14, 1923.

rI`his invention relates to means for auw tomatically controlling the ventilation of buildings and rooms according to theinternal temperature thereof, the object ot the invention being to provide simple7 eective and reliable means of this nature.

In order that the nature of the invention and its constructionmay be clearly understood, reference will now Ibe made to the accompanying sheet ot drawings,` in which Fig. 1 is a sectional end elevation ota building such as a green-house'equipped in accordance with the invention iny its simplest tor-m, and, i

-.Fig. 2 isa sectional elevation otthe apparatus employed to Vprovide the mechanical movement necessary` to /actuat-e t-he ventilators or 'to govern such actuation. 'v

Fig. 3 is ase'ctional detail view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. '4C nis a :plan view of the structure shown in Fig.. 2.

.For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is 'here shown in Fig. 1a building l'having a root?. in whiclrare inserted ventilators 3 each 'consisting vor" a surface or louver-'board 'pivotally mounted at or about its central line by means ot a horizontal shaft or axis 4 upon which such louverboard lmay be turned-seas to occupy a closed position,as Ihere shown in full lines, or an open posit-ion as indicated `in dotted lines'or any intermediate position. Y

According to the "present invention there is'p'rovided and `located within, Y or otherwise subject to the `atmospheric temperature vot th'e building, a vclosed vessel containing atmospheric air yor lother capable of expansion-andcontractionin response to variations of temperature.

r*The `invention `includes also a vertically disposed kvessel '6 having its 'upper Vend open and Y'its lower yend yclosed and in which vessel jis inserted a second vessel or bell 7 having `its 'upper end `closed and its lower end open vrandiada'pted to be sealed by means ot water or-other liquid contained lin the vessel '6 to constitute a water-seal.

The interior ot the vbell 7 above its said liquid-seal 'is in free communication with thecontents of the aforementioned vessel 5, as 'by means of a pipe 8, the arrangement being such that lan expansion ot such contents will cause a `portion thereof to be displaced trom'th'e vessel through the pipe En to the bell 7 thereby causing the latter to rise lin relation to the vessel 6, while -a contraction ot suoli contents of the vessel 5f will permit of a return from the bell 7.

It will be understoodV there-tore that. the vessel@v will in this manner be caused to rise Aand fall in response to variations of pressure of `the contentslot the vessel 5 vand which variations are in turn governed by the temperature surrounding the vessel 5. In the preferred term o'l 'the construction the portion oi' the pipe '8 extending upward through the vvessel 6 is surrounded, at a suit able interval, bya sleeve 9 kwhich extends liquidltight through the bottom of the vessel 6 and upward preferably to a point-slightly labove the yliquid level. the upper end of such sleeve being` sealed air-tight -with the outer periphery of the pipe 8 ywhile the lower end oit' suoli sleeve is vopenfto fthe atmosphere. By this means therefore the said portion of the pipe 8 is separated from the said liquid contents by an annular air-space, thereby avoiding Contact of the liquid with the said pipe `and the consequent cooling lact-ion of such liquid upon vthe gas conveyed by such pipe.

In the simplest application of the invention the said rising and falling movement of the bell is harnessed to directly actuate the opening-and closing movements of 'the ven tilator. Y

Thus as shown in Fig. 1, there is attached to the bell 7, so as to rise-'and `'tall therewith, a vertically disposed rod 10 which is slidably received in a suitable guide 11 mounted stationarily in the building.

Carried by the rod 10 is a boss 12 to which are pivotedflinlrs 13 connecting with the ventilators 3, the arrangement being such that as the bell 7 rises in response to a rise in the temperature ot the building such bell will, through the medium of therod 10 and links 13, serve'to open the ventilators thereby'tending to reduce such temperature. Similarly in the event ot the temperature ot the buildingl falling below a predetermined degree occurring while the ventilators are tully or partially open,the consequent sinking oi'the bell will permit such ventilators to close by gravity. Y

It will be understood that should Athe downward movement of the bell be arrested by the closing of the ventilator or ventiladisplacement .thereto tors, a further fall in the temperature would tend to rarefy the gas in the system erproduce a partial vacuum which might result in li uid from the liquid-seal being; drawn into tie pipe 8.

In the preferred 'torni ol' the invention therefore provision is iliade l'or permittiupv the liell after the elosingr oi' the venti ators has been aecomplishedto crmtinue its downward movement iinlopendentlji7 ol' the ventilators.

As here shown this purpose is ellected h v making the said boss .l2 slidalile upon the rod'lUand providing the latter with a cella r 14 adapted to be fixed in place upon such rod by a setscrew 15 or other means. The arrangement is such that as the ro'd is raised the collar will come in contact with the unn derside of the boss 12 and thus raise the lat ter in the required manner` and similarly7 as the rod is loi'vered this contact of the collar With. the boss will govern the closing); oi `the ventilator. Then the ventilator is` closed however, a further sinking; olAI the bell will carr)T the collar away trom the boss which will depend from the linlts ll while the rod slides to the required extent tilu-irethroiurli..

Suitable means are provided for arrestine` the opening movement when the ventilators are fullyT opened, thus tor exaniple, as here shown, the boss 12 `ma;y lie arraiiged, on reaching this position, to come in contact with the underside of the gruidell.

Inthe event of a further rise ot temperature occurring after `this upward limit et th :i movement has been reached the pressure of the gas contained in the system would in the ordinary course increase and therebyT tend to cause such gras to force its wav through the liquid-seal and escape.

To overcome this dillicultv. in the preferred form of the invention there is provided, and arranged in communication with the gas contained in `the system, a chamber the effective capacity ot which adaiite'd to increase in response to pressure oi such gas higher than that at which the said bell opcrates.

As here shown this chamber consi sts oiE an annular vessellG insertedin the vessel G so as to looselyT surround the bell 7. `The said vessel is` closed at its upper end While its lower end is open and sealed b v the liquid contained in the vessel G. The pipe S provided with a branch which extends upard through the bottom of the vessel (l to `the required height to connect with the space in the .interior ot the vessel 16 above the liquid-seal. The vessel .lli is loaded also as br imposine' thereon a suitable weight l? which will be Just sul'licient to prevent such v ril from rising in response to the gaspressure at which the bell operates.

The arrangement is such therefore that so long as this normal pressure by the gas is not exceeded the vessel i6 will remain in its lower position and will therefore exercise no inlluence or control, but in the event olf' a turther expansion ot the gas occurring,l when the hell has reached its upward limit the vessel 'lli will risc to the required extent to provide the necessary increase in containinfr (,'apacitlr lor the pals.

The ras Contained in the said system may lie at atmospheric pressure or at an)7 suitable higher pressure.

Theflorepoingr description ot means [for applying; the movement oi the bell 7 to ellfect or control the opening; and closing;- o'l the ventilators is given by wav of example and to illustrate one practical method ot such application. It so desired therefore, any other suitable mechanical means may be substituted tor the purpose.

lVe claim zl. An automatic ventilation system, com-` prisimr` in combination, a movable ventilator,` a@ closed vessel containing an expansible fluid subject to variations of temperature, a stationary vertical vessel open at its upper end and closed at its lower end to contain a liquid, ay bell disposed in said vessel and havinl: its upper end closed and its lower end open and sealed bv the liquid in the vessel, a pipe in communication with said fluid-containing vessel and the portion of said bell above the liquid in said stationary vessel, said pipe extendingr upwardly through the bottom ot the limiidrontaining vessel, a tube encircling said pipe and forming an annular chamber therearound, the upper end oi said tube havinga Huid-tight connection with the perinherv of the pipe and a liquidtight connection with the bottom of the 1iquid-containing vessel., the lower end of said tube beiner open to the atmosphere, and nieans 'for transmit-tine the movements of said hell to said ventilator.

An automatic ventilation system, comprising. in combination, a movable ventilator. a closed vessel containingr a fluid subject to variations of temperature, a verticallyr disposed stationary vessel havingr its upper end open and its lower end closed to contain a liquid. a bell in said vessel having its upper end closed and its lower end open and sealed by the liquid in said vessel., communieating;r means between the interior of 'the fluid-containing vessel and the interior of said bell above said liquid seal thereby to cause said bell to rise and fall in response to the expansion and contraction of the iuid in said closed vessel, means for transmitting the movements ot the bell to said ventilator, and means in conununieation With said fluideontaininp; vessel and adapted to absorb anja internal pressure of said fluid higher than that necessarv to operate said bell.

Il. An automatic ventilation system, comprising, in combination, a movable ventilator, a closed vessel containing a fluid subject to variations of temperature, a vertically disposed stationary vessel having its upper end open and its lower end closed to contain a liquid, a bell in said Vessel having its upper end closed and its lower end open and sealed by the liquid in said vessel, communicating means between the interior ot the Huid-containing vessel and the interior of said bell above said liquid seal thereby to cause said bell to risevand fall in response to the expansion and contraction of the fluid in said closed Vessel, means for transmitting the movements of the bell to said ventilator, and an annular vessel in said liquid-containing Vessel, said annular vessel encircling said bell and freely movable thereon, said annular Vessel being duid-tight at its upper end and having its open lower end sealed by the liquid in said .liquid-containing Vessel, said annular vessel being in Communication with the fluid in said fluidecontaining Vessel and adapted to be raised by any internal pres'- sure of said fluid higher than that necessary to operate said bell. y

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.-

HERBERT JAMES WOOD. FREDERICK LYON EASTGATE. 

